New Year's Eve approaches, traditionally the time for festive tippling, and wine is usually a beverage at the top of the celebration list.

In the Kingwood area, the market has been ripe for wine bars - and the Tasting Room Wine Café recently decided to harvest the opportunity.

The Tasting Room Wine Café opened in King's Harbor this year- offering guests a new spot on Lake Houston to sample the fruits of the vine.

Jerry and Phyllis Smith, residents of Atascocita for 25 years, said the café is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

"For people who are really into wine, it's a great place to experience good wine," Jerry Smith said. "For people who are new to wine, it's a tremendous way to learn about wine."

The Smiths are serious about vino.

They are members of a wine group that meets every couple of months to sample new bottles and they travel to vineyard's around the world.

When they are home, they go to tastings at Raffa's, Café Dubois, Hasta La Pasta and Cedar Landing.

The Smiths now have a new routine - every other Saturday, they attend a tasting at The Tasting Room.

"This is a great way for us to try new wines, and as a result we've ended up buying some cases of wine," he said. "They're willing to give you a taste before you put your money down."

The Smiths are not alone in their enthusiasm for The Tasting Room.

Jonathan Horowitz, partner and chief brand officer for the Houston-based chain, said patrons have made the company's Kingwood location a success.

"The response has been fantastic so far," he said. "More and more people have been finding it. Business has been really good."

He sail the newest location for the company was chosen for its convenience.

"The space became available," he said. "It's a good market, and there isn't anything like it in the area."

For Horowitz and his partners, it was a bit out of the norm.

"This is our first foray into the suburbs," he said. "So far Kingwood has been excellent. This may encourage us to try this more often in the future."

The wine bar concept

The concept behind the Tasting Room is that a retail shop should double as a bar to sell wine. Customers need to sample wines before they buy them, Horowitz said.

"People want to discover new things, and try new wines," he said. "If they really like a bottle, they can take it home with them."

The original location of The Tasting Room opened in 2003 in Houston's Uptown Park. Jerry and Laura Lasco came up with the idea.

Jerry was a pilot for the Air Force and then Continental Airlines in New York.

"After 9-11, everyone stopped flying," Horowitz said. "Jerry wanted to start his own business, and he realized there was a need for a European-style wine bar that also sold retail wine. It really had not been done."

The couple had just relocated to Houston, and they went to work researching the wine industry.

Once the first location proved that the concept had legs - the business expanded. Now there are four locations.

Horowitz joined the team in 2005. He said that the owners thought about franchising the business but instead decided to expand organically.

The owners also created Max's Wine Dive, Boiler House Texas Grill & Wine Garden and The Black Door, an online site for wine lovers.

Horowitz said that Kingwood had the right demographics for the company's first venture into the suburbs.

"We feel like our concept needs a high traffic area with a high level of people who enjoy wine, good food and travel," he said. Plus several employees and board members reside in the area.

"We had to go downtown for wine before," he said. "We were really looking for an opportunity to spend our dollars in our own community."

Two Lasco Advisory board members -Fred Enochs and Philip Ugalde -are also Kingwood residents and frequent The Tasting Room often.

Enochs, who has lived in the area for 12 years, believes The Tasting Room filled a gap in the area.

"Kingwood has a lot of residents with a great interest and appreciation for wine but did not have an appropriate venue to enjoy this passion," Enochs said. "The Tasting Room-Kingwood location is a great, well-welcomed establishment that offers both a great wine and food experience in a fun setting that was sorely missed before they opened."

Ugalde lives in the Kings River area.

"While I love the area, I had noticed that the Kingwood community lacked a few 'amenities' found in many other Greater Houston suburbs," he said. "There really wasn't a relaxed yet sophisticated place for adults to go and socialize. Thankfully, the Lasco team saw the opportunity and need and opened The Tasting Room-Kingwood."

The Tasting Room is located in King's Harbor. When one wine bar closed in the location, The Tasting Room could set-up shop without having to completely overhaul the space.

"We had the opportunity to go into the space without having to start from scratch," Horowitz said.

After a few modifications to the kitchen and adding a back patio, the wine bar and restaurant was ready for business.

The Tasting Room serves full meals for lunch and dinner, as well as brunch on weekends.

Offering food is an essential part of the business model, Horowitz said. "We really found that the business has evolved over the years. It started out as lots of cool wines and relatively small nibbles," he said. "Then there was a huge proliferation of that type of bar – they were everywhere and a lot have come and gone. That model is getting more difficult to sustain."

Horowitz said the wine bar banks on having "good food, good wine and good service.

"Plus the weather has been nice, and we built a beautiful patio overlooking Lake Houston."

Van Pelt said the covered patio is a draw for residents.

"The lake is kind of a gem," he said. "There's nowhere in Houston where you can go, sit and enjoy a like view, listen to live music and have some wonderful food."